Leadovation

A founder can delegate the work and still become the biggest obstacle to business growth.  In this episode, Dean Newlund and Mike Krupit explore the shift from doing everything to leading others, the challenges of accountability in family businesses, and how clearer boundaries and greater curiosity can help leaders move forward.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Mike Krupit discuss: Th...

Companies do not always stall because they have a strategy problem. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Jonathan Lewis explore how identity shapes growth, culture, succession, and the way leaders respond to a changing workforce.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Jonathan Lewis discuss: Identity as a driver of business growth The five phases of the disruption cycle Culture and the idea be...

What separates elite performers may have less to do with talent and more to do with mindset, daily rituals, and sustainability.  Dean Newlund and Gary Chupik explore what business leaders can learn from elite athletes about performance, recovery, decision-making, and lasting change.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Gary Chupik discuss: Mental performance across sports and business Dai...

AI is changing how businesses communicate, work, and make decisions, but it also raises new questions about trust, authenticity, and original thinking. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Gal Borenstein explore hybrid work, digital trust, responsible AI adoption, and why innovation still depends on human judgment and creativity.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Gal Borenstein discuss: H...

What happens when a growing organization’s systems can no longer support its vision? Dean Newlund and Carol Schultz discuss chief of staff roles, CEO accountability, communication, competency models, feedback culture, and organizational structures that help teams grow.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Carol Schultz discuss: Telling clients the truth and leading with integrity What a chief...

What happens when the life you built no longer feels like your own? Dean Newlund talks with Wendy Valentine about self-awareness, rebuilding after rock bottom, changing the thoughts and behaviors that keep us stuck, and finding the courage to become the person we want to be.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Wendy Valentine discuss: Awakening through breakdowns and major life transitions Le...

What if strategy isn’t the biggest barrier to business growth? Dean Newlund talks with Nick Avaria, founder of Agency Acquisitions, about founder bottlenecks, organizational blind spots, management, leadership, growth, and AI.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Nick Avaria discuss: Systems and structures that support business growth Blind spots that can quietly limit growth Challenges in mak...

Change is part of every leader’s job, but resistance is not always a communication problem. In this episode, Dean Newlund talks with Travis Hahler about the neuroscience behind resistance and how leaders can help people move forward through change.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Travis Hahler discuss: The brain’s response to uncertainty and why change can trigger resistance Neurological...

Courage can show up in telling the truth, making difficult decisions, and acting without having all the answers. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Ryan Berman explore what courage looks like in leadership, how fear shapes our choices, and how we can build the courage to move forward.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Ryan Berman discuss: Why telling the truth and staying authentic takes cou...

AI is reshaping jobs, workflows, and the way organizations operate. In this episode, Dean Newlund talks with Nadav Wilf, founder of ZeremAI, about how CEOs can build an AI strategy that drives business results.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Nadav Wilf discuss: Where AI is changing jobs and responsibilities The three stages of AI use inside a business Turning AI productivity into deeper opera...

Authority isn't about having the loudest voice or the biggest title. It's about consistently creating value that earns trust over time. In this episode, Dean Newlund sits down with Mitch Matthews to discuss building authentic authority, creating career options, communicating with authenticity, and leading with curiosity.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Mitch Matthews discuss: Why authority is...

Strong leaders know that facts alone rarely change minds. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Danny Bobrow explore why authentic connection comes before persuasion and how leaders can communicate in ways that earn trust, strengthen relationships, and inspire action.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Danny Bobrow discuss: Lessons from endurance sports and teamwork The Persuasion Blueprint framework...

AI can now do far more than summarize meetings. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Artem Koren explore how meeting intelligence is evolving into AI that helps leaders execute business goals, improve collaboration, and rethink the future of work.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Artem Koren discuss: The evolution of AI-powered meeting intelligence Connecting everyday work to organizational goals...

Strong sales conversations are built long before the pitch begins. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Glenn Poulos explore practical strategies for building trust, strengthening customer relationships, and creating memorable buying experiences in both in-person and virtual sales environments.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Glenn Poulos discuss: Relationship-driven approaches to professional se...

Great leadership doesn't begin with better answers—it begins with asking better questions. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Ashley Jablow explore how design thinking can help leaders create intentional cultures, embrace uncertainty, and make better decisions through empathy, experimentation, and purposeful action.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Ashley Jablow discuss: Applying design thinking...

High-performing organizations don't improve engagement by chance. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Ryan Englin explore why employee engagement is ultimately a leadership responsibility and how small, consistent actions can strengthen retention, trust, and business performance.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Ryan Englin discuss: The relationship between leadership and employee engagement Recr...

AI is rapidly changing how organizations serve customers, but the most important business decisions still require human judgment. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Ty Givens explore the evolving relationship between automation, customer experience, and leadership.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Ty Givens discuss: The evolving relationship between technology and customer experience How organiz...

What if the future can't be understood through data, strategy, and forecasts alone? In this episode, Dean Newlund and Stephanie Trager explore how intuition, consciousness, self-awareness, and expanded perception may help leaders navigate uncertainty in entirely new ways.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Stephanie Trager discuss: What it means to become a “conscious futurist” The limitations of...

What if the reason success still feels incomplete has less to do with achievement and more to do with emotions you've never fully processed? In this episode, Dean Newlund and Randy Lyman explore how emotional healing, consciousness, and self-awareness can transform both leadership and life.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Randy Lyman discuss: The connection between emotional healing, personal...

What if losing your job isn’t the end of your career story, but the beginning of a more intentional one? In this episode, Dean Newlund and Steve Jaffe explore how layoffs can become powerful opportunities for resilience, self-discovery, and reinvention.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Steve Jaffe discuss: Why layoffs often mirror the stages of grief and emotional recovery The myth of meritocra...

What happens when hiring becomes almost entirely automated? In this episode, Dean Newlund and Mitch McDermott explore why the companies that preserve human connection may outperform those that turn recruiting into a purely transactional process.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Mitch McDermott discuss: How AI is transforming recruiting, hiring, and talent acquisition The risks of removing the h...

What if much of the backlash around diversity, equity, and inclusion comes from misunderstanding what those ideas were actually meant to be? In this episode, Dean Newlund and Celeste Warren unpack the leadership, hiring, and workplace realities behind one of the most emotionally charged conversations in business today.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Celeste Warren discuss: What diversity, equ...

What if the reason leaders stay stuck in stress, overwork, or emotional reactivity has less to do with discipline—and more to do with unconscious survival patterns? In this episode, Dean Newlund and Lisa Riegel explore how hidden conditioning shapes leadership behavior, decision-making, and the ability to stay calm and present under pressure.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Lisa Riegel discuss...

What happens when a multimillion-dollar photography business goes to near-zero almost overnight during the pandemic? In this episode, Dean Newlund and Scott Proposki unpack the hard reset that forced a shift from chasing revenue to building a truly profitable, scalable business.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Scott Proposki discuss: Scott’s journey from photographer to entrepreneur and busine...

What if brilliant leaders stumble not from lack of skill but from hidden, childhood‑wired patterns and chronic stress? In this episode, Dean Newlund interviews Kendra Dahlstrom to reveal how cultivating self‑awareness and emotional regulation can restore presence, decision quality, and leadership freedom.   In this episode, Dean Newlund and Kendra Dahlstrom discuss: Why high-achieving leaders some...